We Dare You To Take This Road Trip To Massachusetts’ Most Abandoned Places
Massachusetts has a long and storied history, and it has its fair share of fascinating ruins to prove it. While not all of the state’s abandoned spots are accessible, there are some that allow you to drive or hike right up. This road trip will take you across the state to some of the most interesting and easy-to-reach abandoned sites in Massachusetts.
Check out this interactive map for addresses and directions. Please note: some of these places have interiors or areas that are off-limits to the public. Please obey all trespassing laws and be respectful of others’ property when exploring.
The Clinton Railroad Tunnel has a spooky history. Built in the late 1800s, over 4,000 bodies from a local burial ground had to be unearthed and moved to construct this tunnel and the neighboring Wachusett Dam. Since then, people have reported all manner of ghostly phenomenon near this abandoned site. The railroad tunnel is completely open for public exploration.
2. Belchertown State School for the Feeble Minded, Belchertown
This abandoned state school was built in 1922 to care for and education people with mental disabilities or psychological conditions, but by the 1970s it had become notorious for its inhumane treatment of patients and terrible sanitary conditions. The school has been closed for about 40 years, but many of the old buildings remain standing.
You might recognize this abandoned zoo from the 2003 film Mystic River. Set away from the main area of the Franklin Park Zoo, this strange enclosure was built in 1912 and served to house a number of large bears. The public loved to come and watch the bears roam around their stone home, but the intricately carved enclosure is now abandoned and being slowly overtaken by nature. This area is open to the public for exploration.
Visiting Fort Revere is a great way to pack a beach day and a bit of ruin exploration into one trip. Located in the scenic village of Hull, this decommissioned military fort was in use from the Revolutionary War all the way until WWII. It was taken out of active service in 1947, and the public is welcome to explore its abandoned halls and stone rooms.
5. Metropolitan State Hospital and Metfern Cemetery, Waltham
This spooky-looking state hospital opened in 1930, and it bears a particularly macabre nickname – the Hospital of the Seven Teeth. In 1978, Melvin Wilson killed fellow patient Anne Marie Davee and buried her remains in three different locations around the hospital grounds. However, he kept seven of her teeth for trophies. Today, most of the buildings have been demolished. However, a quick trip down the Western Greenway Trail will lead you to the hospital's old burial ground, Metfern Cemetery. You can still see the simple graves.
6. Becket Land Trust Historic Quarry and Forest, Becket
The woods of Becket are hiding a park unlike any other in the world. This nature preserve is filled with the abandoned ruins of 200-year-old mining equipment, vehicles and buildings. The ruins are left from the time when the area was an active quarry, and visitors can climb and investigate all the abandoned sites. This park is open to the public for exploration.
This is a bona fide Massachusetts ghost town. Its history includes everything from rumors of witchcraft to packs of roving dogs, and the town is even studded with peculiar boulders bearing inspirational or reprimanding messages. While there aren't any standing homes left, it's fun to explore the old foundations and try and find all the bizarre boulders.
8. Rutland Farm Prison Camp, Rutland
This abandoned prison camp can be found in the woods of a state park in Rutland. The complex was built in 1903 to house minor offenders like drunkards and petty thieves. Instead of being confined in a cell all day, the prisoners were expected to work the land and cultivate potatoes, as well as tend cows and chickens. In 1907, a tuberculosis hospital was added to the prison. It was finally abandoned in 1934, but the ruins are still standing and fully open to the public.
